I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 387 Triumphant Return, Huge Gains

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The emperor was sent to heaven to carry the order, and the edict said:
"The Liao dynasty is in decline, the Jin dynasty is about to collapse, and the vast northern deserts have long been without a proper ruler. I have received the mandate of Heaven to pacify the two regions. I hereby dispatch Pacification Commissioner Tong Guan and Commander-in-Chief Yue Fei to lead the royal army to the city of Khatun, to sweep away the enemy's strongholds, and to restore the old territories of the Han and Tang dynasties."

The land under heaven belongs to the virtuous. In the past, the Xiongnu harassed the Han and the Turks invaded the Tang, but ultimately they were awed by the might of Heaven and submitted. Now, your tribes are scattered in the northern deserts, relying on the remnants of the fallen Liao dynasty; this is not a long-term solution. Considering that you have long resided beyond the reach of civilization and have not been bathed in the grace of the Emperor, I hereby issue this edict:
Those who lead their tribes to surrender within thirty days of the date this edict arrives will be granted official titles and ranks, and bestowed with gold and silk. They will also be allowed to remain in their respective territories and serve as a permanent bulwark for the Great Song Dynasty. If they stubbornly resist and delay surrendering, I will surely order my army to march north and sweep them away, destroying everything in their path. At that time, your tribes will be wiped out, and it will be too late for regrets.

You should assess the situation and make plans to surrender as soon as possible, lest you repeat the mistakes of the Jin Dynasty. Therefore, this edict is hereby issued so that all may know.

June of the eighteenth year of the Hongwu reign of the Great Song Dynasty.

The envoys sent by Tong Guan to persuade the tribes near Qatun City to surrender not only carried Emperor Zhao Yu's imperial edict but also news from the outside world. This included reports of the complete demise of the Liao Dynasty, Yelü Yanxi's imprisonment in Bianliang (Kaifeng), Yelü Aoluwo's ​​death from exhaustion while hunting, Xiao Duolilan, Xiao Wugulun, and all of Yelü Yanxi's concubines and daughters entering Emperor Zhao Yu's harem, the Jin Dynasty that had led to the Liao's downfall being nearly crippled by the Song Dynasty, numerous nomadic tribes including the Khitan and Xi people surrendering to the Song, and many non-Han people being given important positions in the Song court, and so on and so forth…

At this time, the tribes surrounding Khatun City were scattered and weak, and were simply unable to resist the Song army.

North of Qatun City were the Dahuang Shiwei, Dila, Wangjila and other tribes. Since the fall of the Liao Dynasty, they had been fighting each other constantly. Their population was only a few thousand, and they lacked food and armor, so their lives were not prosperous.

Upon learning that the Song army had captured Khatun City, and hearing that the Liao royal family had all surrendered to the Song, and that the Jin dynasty had been brought to the brink of collapse by the Song, the leaders of the three tribes convened their elders overnight to discuss the matter. Within three days, they all sent envoys with cattle and sheep as gifts to Khatun City to express their intention to surrender.

Chachila, Yexi, and Bigude, who lived in the west of the city, had once been allied with the Liao Dynasty. After the fall of Liao, they struggled to survive between the Jin Dynasty and various tribes of the grasslands. Most of their warhorses had already been plundered by the Jin army.

When news of the Song army's capture of Khatun City arrived, the three tribes were shaken. Just then, the envoy sent by Tong Guan informed them that the Jin state had been decimated by the Song Dynasty, and that the Khitan and Xi people had surrendered to the Song and were being given important positions. The leaders of the three tribes immediately decided to lead their tribes to surrender, hoping to continue their tribes under the protection of the Song Dynasty.

The tribes of Nila, Dalai, Damiri, and Mierji, located east of the city, are known for their fierceness, but each tribe has fewer than 10,000 members and has deep-seated grudges with the surrounding tribes.

Having heard of Yelü Yanxi's imprisonment and Yelü Aoluwo's ​​death, the tribes were already filled with fear. When the Song army displayed overwhelming strength and learned that surrendering would bring them official titles, gold and silk, and the right to rule their land for generations, the tribes lost all will to resist. In just ten days, the entire tribe moved to the vicinity of Qatun City and formally surrendered to the Song Dynasty.

In addition, there were many small tribes around Khatun City, such as the Hezhu, Wuguli, Zubu, Pusuwan, Tanggu, Humusi, Xi, and Jiuerbi tribes. These tribes had populations ranging from several thousand to several hundred. Under the combined influence of the Song army's military might and the policy of inducing surrender, they all came to surrender within the thirty-day deadline.

With this, all the grassland forces surrounding Qatun City submitted, and the Song Dynasty built a stable bulwark system with the new northern border as its core.

This battle, in which the Song Dynasty recovered Khatun City and incorporated the surrounding tribes, was not merely a military victory, but a crucial turning point in reshaping the political, military, and economic landscape of the northern deserts.

Before Tong Guan arrived, Zhao Yu had already decided that the Song army would use Khatun City as the core to build a "pivot-barrier" defense system and occupy Khatun City.

Specifically, three thousand troops were left to garrison Qatun City for a long period of time, and the nomadic tribes of the seven prefectures of Weiwu, Chongde, Huifan, Xin, Dalin, Zihe, and Tuo who had surrendered were incorporated into the Song Dynasty's "foreign troops" system. The elite troops of each tribe were incorporated into the Song army, forming a military control and defense model with the Song army as the main force and the foreign troops as the auxiliary force.

At the political governance level, considering that Qadun City was still far from the Song Dynasty and that it was not easy for Han people to come here at present, the Song Dynasty implemented a strategy of "governing according to local customs." This approach avoided direct rule that could provoke tribal resistance while still achieving effective control. Surrendered tribal leaders were granted honorary titles such as "Military Commissioner" and "Defense Commissioner," retaining their authority over internal tribal affairs, while "Military Supervisors" were dispatched to monitor military movements. This "indirect control + supervision" model both appeased tribal sentiments and prevented them from re-establishing separatist regimes. This approach had the potential to curb the chaotic situation of "fickle allegiance" among the steppe tribes in the region, leading to a long-term stable political order in the northern desert region.

On the economic front, Qadun City would become a hub for trade between the Song Dynasty and the Mongolian steppe. The Song Dynasty would exchange silk, tea, and various light and heavy industrial goods for furs and livestock from the grasslands, forming a two-way trade route. The surrendered tribes obtained necessities through trade, deepening their economic dependence on the Song Dynasty and further consolidating their political allegiance, laying the foundation for the subsequent incorporation of the Mongolian steppe into the rule of the Central Plains dynasties.

Incidentally, because many small tribes around Khatun City chose to submit to the Song Dynasty, they offered the Song Dynasty a large number of horses, cattle, sheep, and furs. The Song Dynasty obtained a total of 210,000 fine horses, millions of cattle, sheep, camels, mules, and donkeys from Khatun City, and countless furs.

On the day that all the tribes surrounding Khatun City surrendered, Yue Fei, under the orders of Tong Guan, led 10,000 elite Song cavalry and 5,000 nomadic cavalry who had submitted to the Song Dynasty northward, taking it upon himself to "sweep away the embers of the northern desert and demonstrate the might of the Song Dynasty."

The army set off from Khatun City and marched north along the Onon River. Wherever they passed, small tribes that had not yet surrendered were routed, either surrendering their horses or fleeing into the northern wilderness. The Song army reached the foot of Langjuxu Mountain without expending too much blood and sweat.

Since Huo Qubing, the Han general who defeated the Xiongnu, sealed the mountain and offered sacrifices to Heaven, Langjuxu Mountain has become a symbol of the military prowess of the Central Plains dynasties.

For over a thousand years, regimes have changed hands on the northern grasslands, but this mountain has always been a "sacred mountain" in the hearts of nomadic tribes and a glorious peak that the Central Plains dynasties longed to ascend once again.

Tong Guan was well aware of the symbolic meaning of this, and as early as during the surrender of Khatun City, he had already set a strategy to "use the legend of sealing the wolf's lair to restore the authority of the northern border of the Great Song Dynasty".

At this time, there was no organized resistance force around Langjuxu Mountain. Yue Fei's Song army cleared out the scattered tribes at the foot of the mountain in just three days, clearing the way for the Fengshan ceremony.

Subsequently, Tong Guan led civil officials, rite officials, and some barbarian soldiers to the mountaintop, where they built a high platform for worshipping Heaven in accordance with the Fengshan ceremony of the Central Plains dynasties.

On the day of the sacrificial ceremony to Heaven, banners fluttered and armor gleamed. Song soldiers stood encircling the mountaintop, with barbarian leaders positioned on either side. Tong Guan, dressed in specially made military official robes and holding a sacrificial text, ascended the high platform and, in the name of "Special Envoy of the Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty," addressed Heaven and Earth:

"I, by the mandate of Heaven, have pacified the four seas. Now, the royal army has pacified the northern deserts and restored the old territories of the Han and Tang dynasties. I solemnly ascend the Langjuxu Mountain to proclaim to the world that from now on, the northern deserts belong to the Song Dynasty, and all nations will come to pay tribute."

After the eulogy was read, Tong Guan personally buried the jade tablet symbolizing the territory of the Song Dynasty under the altar, and then ordered people to erect a stone tablet inscribed with "The Great Song Dynasty Seals the Wolf's Lair" on the mountaintop.

This campaign to seal the Wolf's Nest in the Western Regions, while lacking the fierce battles of Huo Qubing's war against the Xiongnu and the glorious achievements of annihilating powerful enemies, was more of a "clever" move to take advantage of the situation by inducing the surrender of the Khatun City.

However, from a historical perspective, Tong Guan did indeed become the first representative of the Central Plains dynasty to ascend Mount Langjuxu and perform the Fengshan ceremony in more than a thousand years, following Huo Qubing.

—In fact, before Huo Qubing's shameless act of sealing the Wolf-Dwelling Mountain after defeating the Xiongnu and killing over 70,000, and pursuing them to the Wolf-Dwelling Mountain, there were two other people who could have achieved the same feat. One was Dou Xian of the Eastern Han Dynasty, who, after defeating the Northern Xiongnu, inscribed his achievements at Yanran Mountain. Although he did not seal the Wolf-Dwelling Mountain, his military exploits and influence are often regarded as a feat of territorial expansion in the north comparable to Huo Qubing's. The other was Li Jing of the Tang Dynasty, who destroyed the Eastern Turks, defeated the Tuyuhun, swept across the northern desert, and completely dismantled the threat of the northern nomadic regimes. His martial arts also reached the level of "sealing the Wolf-Dwelling Mountain".

However, Dou Xian and Li Jing did not actually stage the "Sealing the Wolf and Dwelling in the Mountain" gimmick, which allowed Tong Guan to benefit from it.

Tong Guan's sealing of the wolf's lair and his offering of the Fengshan ceremony broke the traditional constraint that "eunuchs are not allowed to lead troops in the Fengshan ceremony."

This was also a groundbreaking move. To be honest, although Tong Guan's actions were somewhat shameless, from a political perspective, they were actually quite meaningful.

This move not only declared the Song Dynasty's sovereignty over the northern steppe to the various tribes of the northern steppe, but also extended the influence of the Central Plains dynasty back to this long-dormant land, laying a solid symbolic foundation for the Song Dynasty to implement the "pivot-flank" system in the northern steppe.

The deterrent power displayed by the Song army led by Yue Fei in this operation completely dispelled the rebellious intentions of the various tribes on the grasslands. The Fengshan stele at Langjuxu Mountain became a symbol of the stability of the northern border of the Song Dynasty, witnessing a new history between the northern deserts and the Central Plains.

After sealing the wolf's lair, Tong Guan, Yue Fei, and others stayed in Khatun City for several more months until the following year when there was no shortage of grazing land for warhorses, cattle, sheep, camels, mules, and donkeys along the way, before returning to the Song Dynasty.

To ensure that no unforeseen circumstances arise, Tong Guan, Yue Fei, and others recruited 10,000 barbarian cavalry from Khatun City. In addition, various tribes that had surrendered to the Song Dynasty also sent people to accompany Tong Guan and Yue Fei back to the Song Dynasty to prepare to receive rewards from Zhao Yu.

In late spring, on the northern grasslands, where the grass was just beginning to sprout, Tong Guan and Yue Fei led their returning army, which included 210,000 warhorses and a million head of livestock, slowly heading south from Khatun City.

The procession stretched for dozens of miles, with tribute missions from surrendered tribes interspersed among the main Song army. The sounds of camel bells and horses' hooves mingled, creating a unique migration scene on the northern grasslands.

On the return journey, they learned that the Song army was transporting more than 200,000 fine horses and millions of livestock, and that several nomadic tribes had tried to plunder them several times because they coveted these animals.

Yue Fei decisively dispatched his troops to meet the attack. With the Song army's disciplined formation and superior equipment, most of the nomadic tribes were frightened away. Of course, there were also nomadic tribes that were desperate for food and wanted to fight to the death, but they were all defeated by the Song army.

Upon reaching the border between the southern desert and the Song Dynasty, a sudden change occurred.

Upon hearing that the Song army was returning with a large number of livestock, the Tatars dispatched 70,000 cavalry to flank them from both sides, intending to seize the warhorses and livestock.

The Tatar tribe operated in the transitional zone between southern and northern Mongolia, a region characterized by arid climate and barren grasslands, making it difficult to support large-scale nomadic pastoralism. To sustain their tribe, they abandoned the traditional grassland trade and relied on raiding for survival. They not only plundered the livestock and people of neighboring weaker tribes but also ambushed them on trade routes between the Central Plains dynasties and grassland tribes, plundering goods such as silk and tea. Both caravans and scattered herders were their targets; "plundering when there was nothing left to plunder, and leaving when there was nothing left to plunder" became the norm for this tribe.

Judging from their tribal credibility, the Tatars had no sense of alliance. They had betrayed their allies for personal gain when forming alliances with other tribes to fight powerful enemies; when the Central Plains dynasties tried to appease and reward them, they would immediately break the agreement and launch a surprise attack if they found that the Song army or merchant caravans were weak in defense.

Previously, when the Song army was on its northern expedition, the Tatar tribe pretended to surrender but secretly observed the Song army's movements. When the Song army was returning with a large number of livestock and its forces were dispersed, the Tatar tribe gathered 70,000 cavalry to launch a surprise attack, completely ignoring the unspoken rule of the steppe tribes that "they do not attack returning troops." This further solidified their reputation as "steppe bandits."

Furthermore, the Tatar raids were not simply for survival, but also had an element of "opportunism." They would target periods of weakness or when the defenses of their targets were weak, and would flee quickly when they encountered a strong enemy. They never confronted their enemies head-on, and they lacked both the martial spirit of the steppe tribes and the sense of trust and righteousness of the Central Plains dynasties. They were truly a "troublesome threat to the steppe."

Seeing the Song army's substantial gains from this recapture, the Tatar tribe was blinded by greed and wanted to seize this enormous wealth.

Well, if the Tatar tribe really manages to plunder these 200,000-plus fine horses and millions of livestock, their strength will definitely expand rapidly, and they might even be able to unify the grasslands.

Sake reddens the face, and wealth stirs the heart. No wonder the Tatars dared to take such a risk.

Yue Fei made a decisive decision, asking Tong Guan to personally lead the Western Army to protect the horses and livestock, while he led his own troops and the ten thousand barbarian cavalry to meet the enemy.

Yue Fei ordered his troops to form a hollow formation, and at the same time sent fast horses to the Song border to request reinforcements.

The Tatar cavalry launched repeated attacks, while the Song army fiercely resisted with their new Li Lin guns.

After half a day of fierce fighting, the Tatar forces were still unable to break through the Song army's hollow formation.

Meanwhile, the more than 10,000 barbarian cavalrymen kept circling around, waiting for Yue Fei to give them the order to attack.

Crucially, the Song army still had over 20,000 elite cavalrymen who had not yet participated in the battle.

Seeing this, how could the Tatars not know that they had kicked a hornet's nest?
Just as the Tatar tribe was considering retreating but was unwilling to give up this lucrative prize, dust billowed in the distance, and Song generals Zhang Jun, Liu Guangshi, Zhe Keqiu, and others led 50,000 light cavalrymen to arrive at full speed.

The Song cavalry reinforcements arrived in three routes, flanking the Tatar tribe and striking directly at their flank. The resounding bugle calls and the neighing of warhorses echoed across the grassland.

Seeing this, the Khan of the Tatar tribe, fearing that they would be surrounded by the Song army, had no choice but to order a retreat. The 70,000 nomadic cavalrymen fled in panic, escaping into the depths of the northern desert.

After this battle, the returning army faced no further obstacles.

Several days later, Tong Guan and Yue Fei led all the spoils of war to a major border town of the Song Dynasty.

The Song soldiers on the city tower saw the endless livestock and the ranks of the surrendered tribes and cheered loudly.

A few days later, the army crossed the Great Wall and entered the pass.

The people lined the streets to welcome the returning army and livestock, marveling at the great victory of the Song Dynasty in the northern desert and expressing their awe at the Song's strength.

After settling the surrendered tribal leaders, Tong Guan, Yue Fei, and others immediately dispatched messengers to the capital to report to Zhao Yu on the victories in the northern desert and the return of the troops. They also requested the court to send officials from the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue to receive the spoils of war.

A glorious chapter in the northern deserts belonging to the Song Dynasty was thus officially recorded in history...

……

(End of this chapter)